Todd Petersen

Professor of English Southern Utah University

  • Cedar City UT

Specializing in formal structures of visual storytelling, creative writing, film theory, and aesthetics

Contact

Biography

Dr. Todd Petersen has worked as a YMCA assistant program director, literary journal editor, and English professor. Currently, he teaches creative writing and film studies courses for the English Department at Southern Utah University. He is also a member of the Author’s Guild.

Dr. Petersen’s research focuses on screen aesthetics, visual narrative theory, heist and superhero films, as well as film adaptation. He has published a book of short stories and three novels. His fourth work of fiction, “Picnic in the Ruins,” was released in early 2021. Library Journal calls it "An edgy black comedy examining crucial issues of appropriation and antiquities theft in America."

Petersen has a bachelor of arts degree in telecommunications and film from University of Oregon, a master’s degree in English from Northern Arizona University, and a Ph.D. in English with emphasis in fictional rhetoric and critical theory from Oklahoma State University.

Industry Expertise

Education/Learning
Research
Writing and Editing

Areas of Expertise

Traditional and Contemporary Models of Successful Writing
Creative Writing Techniques
Coming-of-Age Storytelling
Project-Based Learning in HIgher Education
Project Management
Fictional Rhetoric
Film Adaptation
Experiential Education
Visual Narrative Theory
Creative Writing
Storytelling
Project Based Learning
Creative Writing in Higher Education
Religious and Inspiration Fiction
Formal Structures of Visual Storytelling

Education

University of Oregon

B.A.

Telecommunications & Film

Northern Arizona University

M.A.

English

Oklahoma State University

Ph.D.

English

Accomplishments

Storytelling for Influence Certification

IDEO U

Experiential Education Academy Certification

National Society of Experiential Education, 2016

Experiential Education Program of the Year

National Society of Experiential Education, 2016

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Affiliations

  • National Society of Experiential Education
  • Author's Guild
  • Nat Sobel at Sobel/Weber

Media Appearances

‘Meeting real people changes everything’: State prison book club invites authors to meetings

KSL News  tv

2024-10-31

“You drive by these buildings if you don’t have a reason to come in them, and you can just rely on television, movies for what people are going to tell you about what’s happening in here, but getting to spend an hour and a half, a couple hours in here, meeting real people changes everything,” Petersen said.

The group discussed his book, “Picnic in the Ruins.”

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Episode 292: New Releases and More for January 5, 2021

Book Riot  online

2021-01-05

This week, Liberty and Danika discuss Outlawed, The Heiress, Black Buck, and more great books. Petersen's book is discussed at 14:27.

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How national parks, cultural artifacts and the wilds of the West inspired a crime romp

The Orange County Register  online

2021-02-21

“I wanted to try something I hadn’t seen before, but more than anything I just wanted people to read a crime novel they can have fun with,” says Todd Robert Petersen, referring to his new book, “Picnic in the Ruins” out now from Counterpoint Press.

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Research Grants

Centennial Initiatives Grant

National Park Service

2008

Courses

ENGL 1523 Storytelling

A formal exploration and analysis of the fundamental structures of stories and the elements of storytelling. Students also explore the impact of storytelling on culture and history across a variety of media. Students create and share original stories in a variety of modes and mediums. Central to the course is the study of the history and function of storytelling across Western and non-Western cultures.

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ENGL 2020 Introduction to Creative Writing

A process based approach to understanding the craft, tools, and techniques that inform successful Creative Writing. Students will read traditional and contemporary models of successful writing, compose works of their own, and participate in peer workshops that allow comment and feedback.

ENGL 2023 Screen Aesthetics

An introduction to the study of the formal structures of visual storytelling, an exploration of the various media used to tell these stories, and a guide to the major modes of screen analysis and criticism.

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